The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society (천문학회보)
- Volume 43 Issue 2
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- Pages.51.5-52
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- 2018
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- 1226-2692(pISSN)
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of SN 2017eaw in 2017: Carbon Monoxide and Dust Formation in a Type II-P Supernova
Abstract
The origin of dust in the early Universe has been the subject of considerable debate. Core-collapse supernovae (ccSNe), which occur several million years after their massive progenitors form, could be a major source of that dust, as in the local universe several ccSNe have been observed to be copious dust producers. Here we report nine near-infrared (0.8 - 2.5 micron spectra of the Type II-P SN 2017eaw in NGC 6946, spanning the time interval 22 - 205 days after discovery. The spectra show the onset of CO formation and continuum emission at wavelengths greater than 2.1 micron from newly-formed hot dust, in addition to numerous lines of hydrogen and metals, which reveal the change in ionization as the density of much of the ejecta decreases. The observed CO masses estimated from an LTE model are typically 0.0001 Msun during days 124 - 205, but could be an order of magnitude larger if non-LTE conditions are present in the emitting region. The timing of the appearance of CO is remarkably consistent with chemically controlled dust models of Sarangi & Cherchneff.
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